An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unpiloted vehicle may be referred to as a drone. The term may be inspired by the male honeybee by the same name that often travels in numbers and is agile in flight. In some instances, the larger fixed wing vehicles common in military applications may be referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles and the smaller commercial or private use vehicles, which may operate autonomously or be remotely controlled by a nearby user may be referred to as drones.
The copter class of UAVs or drones may include any number of spinning blades that create lift by forcing air downward or in other directions. Initial uses of UAVs included surveillance and aerial photography. Recent efforts have expanded into many other fields including surveying, package delivery, robot waiters, and other applications. Many UAVs are remotely controlled by human operators. Challenges remain in automatic routing of UAVs.